Ohio University has fallen behind its goal of ranking third in both salary and total compensation for almost all its faculty groups compared to other state universities.
Although OU still has the third largest amount of tenure-track faculty in the state, behind Ohio State University and the University of Cincinnati, OU is ranked eighth in average salary and seventh in average total compensation of tenure-track faculty, according to the August Board of Trustees agenda.
“If you want to tout yourself as one of the top three institutions in the state, you should make sure your workforce is compensated in that way,” said Ben Stuart, chair of the Finance and Facilities committee for Faculty Senate and a professor of civil engineering.
OU associate professors rank eighth in both salary and total compensation.
Only assistant professors’ average total compensation reaches the university’s desired third ranking when compared to other state universities; but the faculty group still ranks sixth in average salary.
“The fact that we have slipped in relation to other schools suggests that they are placing a priority on faculty compensation that our president, provost and trustees (are) not,” said Joe McLaughlin, a tenure-track English professor and former chair of Faculty Senate.
At its March 1991 meeting, the Board of Trustees reinforced its original 1976 trustee resolution to remain in the upper quartile — which would be a ranking no lower than third — among Ohio public universities faculty salaries and total compensation.
Faculty compensation is supported from state-shared instruction and tuition funds —OU’s two most stable revenue sources, said John Day, associate provost for academic budget and planning.
“If I increase someone’s salary, I have to pay that forever,” Day said. “They have to be (paid with) base dollars.”
Faculty this school year will receive a total 3 percent salary pool increase in addition to the traditional 2 percent faculty salary pool increase between academic years after OU realized carry over from last school year.
The merit-based 1 percent salary pool increase — announced to faculty in early September and retroactive to July — will not make up the ground lost between OU’s ranking and its goal of ranking third in the state, Stuart said, but the unexpected income is a step in the right direction.
“Students are here for four years, but faculty are often here for 30-50 years, so getting the right people and keeping them is really important,” said Faculty Senate Chairwoman Elizabeth Sayrs.
dk12311@ohiou.edu
@DanielleRose84
